Remote indicating system



G. MEINERS REMOTE INDICATING SYSTEM Oct. 30, 1934.

Filed June 12, 1931 V A 5 v 1? ksl Inventor: Gustav M ei'ners, y

W 1% His Attorney.

@120 position or whether it is Patented Oct. 30, 1934 REMOTE I NDICATING SYSTEM Gustav Meiners, Berlin-Plotzensee, Germany, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application June 12, 1931, Serial No. 543,983 In Germany July 11, 1930 1 Claim.

110 when-the-device is in one position and is not lighted when the device is in its other position. Such an arrangement has the disadvantage that in -large stations where there are many devices having positions to beindicated, it requires a .115 relatively large amount of current simultaneously-to'li'ght all of the lamps. Such an arrange- "ment also has the disadvantage that there is no 'wayof telling whether an unlighted lamp is due "tothe corresponding device being in a certain due to the burning out ot the lamp.

-One objecto'f my invention is to provide a simple and "reliable arrangement in which these disadvantages are removed. In accordance with my invention, I provide an arrangement whereby by means of a reversing switch either of two indicatingsystems maybe employed to indicate the position of a control-device. When the reversing switch is in one-of its positions, the existing position of a control device is indicated by a lamp which corresponds to that position and which is'lighted continuously and a change from i that position is indicated by another lamp which corresponds to the new position of the device and which is intermittently lighted. When the' reversing switch is in its other position, the existing position of the device is indicated by the lamp corresponding to that position not being lighted and a change from that position is indicated by the lamp corresponding to the new position being lighted continuously.

My invention will be' better understood from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which diaj l grammatically illustrates a circuit breaker indieating system embodying my invention and its scope will be pointedoutin the appended claims.

Referring to theacconipanying drawing, 1 represents a circuitbreaker, the position of which j 5 it is desired to indicate at a remote point. At thev remote point, there are provided two relays 2 and 3 which are respectively energized in accordance with the position of the circuit breaker 1. As

' shown; the relay -2 is provided with an operating "winding 4, the=circuit of'which is arranged to be completed momentarily by auxiliary contacts 5 associated with the circuit breaker 1 when the circuit breaker moves from its open position to its closed position. The relay 3 is provided with a similar operating winding 6 the circuit of which '60 is arranged to be completed momentarily by auxiliary contacts '7 associated with the circuit breaker 1 when it moves to its open position. The relay 2 is also provided with a holding winding 8, the circuit of which is completed through contacts 9 of the relay 2 when its operating winding 4 is energized. The circuit of the winding 8 also includes the contacts of a manually controlled switch 10 which is normally closed. The relay 3 .is similarly provided with a holding winding 11 the circuit of which is completed through the contacts of the switch 10 and the contacts 12 of the relay 3 when the operating winding 6 is energized. The two relays 2 and 3 are arranged in any suitable manner, examples of which are well known in the art so that they control a reversing switch 13 in such a manner that the energization of either of these relays causes the switch 13 to be moved to a corresponding position in which position the switch 13 remains until the other relay is energized. As shown in the drawing, the energization of the relay 2 causes the reversing switch 13 to close its contacts 14 and the energization of the relay 3 causes the reversing switch 13 to close its contacts 15.

The position of the switch 1 is indicated at the remote point by the indicating electric lamps 16 and 1'7, the circuits of which are selectively controlled by the relays 2 and 3 and the reversing switch 13 in accordance with the position of the circuit breaker 1 and any change in the position thereof. 18 represents any suitable in-' terrupter, examples of which are well known in the art, for intermittently interrupting an electric circuit and 19 represents a manually controlled reversing switch which determines by its position the particular manner in which the lamps 16 and 17 are selectively controlled by the relays 2 and 3 and the reversing switch 13. The lamps 16 and 17 are usually colored differently,' one usually being green and the other red, corresponding to the open and closed position of the circuit breaker.

With the circuit breaker 1 closed, the switch 19 in the position shown, both of the holding windings 8 and 11 deenergized and the reversing switch 13 in theposition shown, the lamp 1'7 is lighted by means of a circuit which includes the contacts 14 of the reversing switch 13, contacts 20 of the deenergized relay 2 and the closed contacts 21 of the reversing switch 19. The lighted lamp 1'7 indicates that the switch 1 is in its closed position.

It will now be assumed that the circuit breaker 1 is opened in any suitable manner, examples of which are well known in the art. In moving towards its open position, the circuit breaker momentarily closes its auxiliary contacts 'I and thereby completes an energizing circuit for the operating winding 6 of the relay 3. The relay 3, by closing its contacts 12, completes through the contacts of the switch 10 an energizing circuit for the holding winding 11. so that the relay 3 remains in its energized position after the'cir cult of the operating winding '6 is interrupted at the auxiliary contacts 7 of the circuit breaker 1. The relay 3 also closes its contacts 22 and operates the reversing switch 13, so that it opens its contacts 14 and closes its contacts 15. The above traced circuit for the lamp 17 is, therefore, opened anda circuit is intermittently completed for the lamp 16 to indicate that the circuit breaker 1 has moved from its closed position to its open position. This circuit for the lamp 16 includesthe contacts 15 of the reversing switch 13, the contacts 22 of the energized relay 3 and the interrupter 18. This circuit of the lamp l6 continues to be completed intermittently, by the interrupter 18 until the operator acknowledges the indication by operating the switch 10 to open the circuit of the holdingwinding 11 of therelay 3. When the switch 10 is opened, the relay 3 opens its contacts 22 and closes' its contacts 23, thereby completing through the contacts 15 of the reversing switch 13 and the switch 21 of the reversing switch 19 a circuit for the lamp 16 so that the lamp remains continuously lighted.

' It will now be assumed that the circuitbreaker 1 is reclosed in any suitable manner. In moving to its closed position, the circuit breaker 1 momentarily closes its auxiliary contacts 5 so that the operating winding 4 of the relay 2 is energized. The relay 2 by closing its contacts 9 completes through the contacts of the switch 10 an and closes its contacts 1 1. A circuit is then intermittently completed for the lamp 17 to indicate that the circuit breaker 1 has moved from its open position to its closed position. This circuit for the lamp 17 includes the contacts 14 of .the' reversing switch 13, the contacts 25 of the relay 2 and the interrupter 18. The lamp 17 continues to be lighted intermittently until the operator acknowledges the indication by opening the switch 10 to effect the deenergization of the holding winding 8 of the relay 2. A circuit is then completed for the lamp 1'? through the contacts 14 of the reversing switch 13, contacts 20 of the relay 2- and the contacts 21 of the reversing switch 19 so that the lamp 1'? now remains continuously lighted.

I With the reversing switch 19in the position shown in the drawing, it will b'e'seen that when either the lamp 16 or 17 is continuously lighted, it indicates that the circuit breaker 1 is in the corresponding position and when either of these lamps is intermittently-lighted it indicates that the circuit breaker has changed its position and is in the position corresponding to the lamp which is being intermittently lighted.

It will now be assumed that while the circuit breaker 1 is closed, the reversing switch 19 is moved to its other position, in which position the contacts 21 are opened and the contacts 26 complete a short-circuit around the interrupter 18.

The opening of the contacts 21, when the switch 19 is moved to its right-hand position, interrupts the above traced circuit for the lamp 17. Therefore, with the switch 19 in its right-hand position, the existing position of the circuit breaker 1 is indicated by both of the lamps 16 and 17 not being lighted.

Let it be assumed that while the switch 19 is in its right-hand position, the circuit breaker 1 opens so that it effects the energization of the relay 3 and the operation of the reversing switch 13 in themanner above described. A circuit is then completed for the lamp 16 so that the lamp is lighted continuously to indicate that the circuitrbreaker 1 has moved from its closed position to its open position. This circuit of the lamp 16 includes the contacts 15 of the reversing switch 13, the contacts 22 of theenergized relay 3 and the contacts 26 of the reversing switch 19. The lamp 16 remains lighted until the switch 10 is opened. The circuitof the lamp 16 is then opened by the relay 3 opening its contacts 22.

When the circuit breaker 1 is reclosed. while the reversing switch 19 is in its right-hand position, the circuit breaker eifects the energization of the relay 2 and the operation of the reversing switch 13 in the manner above described. A circuit is then completed for the lamp 1'7 so that it is lighted. continuously to indicate that the circuit breaker 1 has moved from its open position to, its closed position This circuit of the .lamp 17 includes the contacts 14 of the reversing switch 13, contacts 25 of the energized relay 2 and the contacts 26 of the reversing switch 19. The lamp. 17 remains lighted until the switch 10 is opened to interrupt thecircuit of the relay 2. The relay 2, by'opening itscontacts 25, opens the circuit of the lamp 1'7.- 7 v w From the above description, it will be seen that .when the reversing switch 19 is in itsright-hand position, the lamps 16 and 17 are lighted only whena change in the position of the circuit breaker 1 occurs. The lamp 17 is lighted when the switch 1 moves from its open position to its closed position and the lamp 16 is lighted when the 7 switch moves from its closed position to its open position,

When the reversing switch 19 is in its righthand position and the lamps are not lighted, the arrangement normally indicates thatthe circuit breaker 1 has not changed its position since the last indication was noted by the operator opening. the switch 10. There is a possibility, however, that, due to the burning out of a lamp,

the circuit breaker 1 may have changed its position without effecting the lighting of oneof the lamps. The operator may readily determine whether the lamp correspondingto the position occupied by the circuit breaker has burned out by moving the reversing "switch 'l g to -its left-hand position. If a lampiscontinuously lighted in response to the movement "of thB'SWltCh 19 toits -left-hand'position, thelightedslamp indicates the position of the circuit breaker, -that-the'circuit breaker has notchange'd its position since the lastindication was notedby the operation of the switch 10 andthatthe lamp has not burned out. If, however, the movement of the switch 19 'toits left-hand position results in no light being lighted, the operator is then informed that at least one of the lamps has burned out. By replacing the lamps with new ones, he can then determine which one has burned out.

While I have, in accordance with the patent statutes, shown and described my invention as applied to a particular system and as embodying various devices diagrammatically indicated, changes and modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art and I, therefore, aim in the appended claim to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

In a remote indicating system, a movable device having two positions, twosignals corresponding respectively to different positions of said movable device, a two position control switch, means operative when said switch is in one of its positions for effecting the continuous operation of the corresponding signal in response to the movement of said device to either of its positions, means for discontinuing the operation of a signal while said device remains in the position corresponding thereto and said switch is in said one of its positions, means operative when said switch is in the other of its positions for efiecting an intermittent operation of the corresponding signal in response to the movement of said device to either of its positions, and means responsive to the operation of said discontinuing means while said switch is in said other of its positions and the signal corresponding to the position occupied by said device is being intermittently operated for effecting the continuous operation of the signal corresponding to the position occupied by said device.

GUSTAV MEINERS. 

